Report: Speed caused 27 percent of La. traffic death in 2013

BATON ROUGE- A new report finds speeding was a factor in at least 27 percent of Louisiana traffic fatalities in 2013.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study says the state had 703 traffic fatalities two years ago and 193 stemmed in part from speeding.

More than 9,600 people nationally died from speeding-related crashes, down 7 percent from the previous year.

John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, says the state's highway fatality rates have declined significantly since 2007, but speed continues to be a major factor in fatal crashes.